Winnipeg seeks public feedback on bike lane plans

Winnipeggerscan weighin on several planned cycling lane projects, including a downtown network that would link parts of the downtown.

The City of Winnipeg held an open house at the Manitoba Children's Museum on Tuesday evening for members of the public to learn more about plans for a downtown bike lane system connecting The Forks to the Exchange District.

The plan proposes upgradingexisting cycling lanes on Fort andGarry Streets to make them protected lanes, as well as building a pedestrian andcycling crossing on Main Street near Assiniboine Avenue.

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"A key part of this project is going to be upgrading the cycling facilities to protected cycling facilities to make it attractive and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities, whether they're eight years old or 80 years old, to choose to cycle downtown," Scott Suderman, a transportation facilities planning engineer with the city, said at the open house.

"We heard from thousands of Winnipeggers and we've heard that over half of Winnipeggers are interested in cycling but they're concerned, so we want to develop facilities that are available for everyone."

Suderman added that developing bike and pedestrian lanes wouldtie into renewing existing city infrastructure "so repairing the streets, repairing the sidewalks, improving the drainage."

The city will hold another public open house on Wednesday to share plans for a cycling and pedestrian corridor linking McPhillips Street to Sherbrook Street, linking the West Alexander neighbourhood with the Exchange.

That open house will be held at 4-7 p.m. at the Brodie Centre Atrium of the University of Manitoba's Bannatyne campus on 727 McDermot Ave.

The city also wants to look at converting an existing hydro corridor into a 4.6-kilometre pedestrian and cycling pathway in northwest Winnipeg.

"There's other types of priorities as well, such as existing gaps in the network, for example, and enhancing other parts of the city as well in the north, northwest area of the city," Suderman said.

"We have some great facilities under-served, but we want to look at connecting people into downtown."

The proposed projects are part of the city's 20-year pedestrian and cycling strategy, which was approved by council earlier this year.

Those who cannot attend the open houses can send their feedback online through the city's Walk Bike Projects website.